British diplomat visits West Bank due to increasing settler violence

By Qais Omar Darwesh Omar, Cagri Kosak and Gozde Bayar

RAMALLAH/ The UK’s Deputy Consul General to Jerusalem visited the West Bank on Thursday because of increasing illegal Jewish settlements and settler violence against Palestinians.

Alison McEwen visited the Burqa village in Ramallah and the Ein Samiya region to observe the latest developments in the region.

He expressed solidarity with the Palestinians, noting that settlements and violence are expanding in Area C.

"These settlements are illegal,” he said, adding that a two-state solution is undermined.

He added that many Palestinians are persecuted and intimidated by Jewish settlers.

McEwen urged Israeli authorities to hold Jewish settlers to account and said the right of the Palestinian people to live in peace and tranquility should be guaranteed.

“Representatives from the UK, EU, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Finland, Belgium, Sweden, Canada and Norway visited the Palestinian community of Burqa and the site of the recently displaced community of Ras at-Tin amid accelerating rates of settler violence and following the demolition by Israeli authorities of donor-funded humanitarian structures, including a school in the nearby community of Ein Samiya,” the UK in Jerusalem said on X.

A 19-year-old Palestinian was killed Aug. 4 in a raid by Jewish settlers in the village of Burqa.

Israeli forces destroyed a school in the Ein Samiya region Aug. 17 that was financed by the EU.

Under the 1995 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, was divided into three portions -- Areas A, B, and C.

While Area A represents 18% of the West Bank and is controlled by the Palestinian Authority in terms of security and administration, Area B is 21% of the territory and is subject to Palestinian civil administration and Israeli security control.

Area C, which represents 61% of the West Bank, is under Israel’s civil and security control.